future visions ← the digital glebe

After the Gold Rush 2

May

2013

Scottish Islands Renewable Project: Final Report https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/scottish-islands-renewable-project-final-report ‘Our study concludes that the costs of deploying renewables on a large scale in the Scottish Islands is high, and that there are a number of technological and environmental challenges. However, onshore wind on the Scottish Islands is cost competitive with several other forms of low carbon generation ...

Keeping Chess Alive

May

2013

As a chess player, probably the biggest hurdle to developing into a ‘better’ combatant is just how much ‘book’ is involved. You may be a very strong tactical player, but when confronted by an opponent who has a deeper knowledge of the many opening variations, you will certainly find it a struggle to achieve a ...

Peter Lilley MP: the Voice of Sanity 3

Apr

2013

Westminster Hall Thursday 18 April 2013 [Mr Andrew Turner in the Chair] Hansard debate UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ‘Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad. One of the early signs of madness is an indulgence in compulsive displacement activity, which could not be a better description of the whole ...

Know Thy Enemy 3

Apr

2013

“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” John Maynard Keynes Almost to a man, the four main parties in UK politics -Lib Lab Con SNP- all repeat the following mantra with little deviation: “Climate change is the greatest threat faced by humanity and the most important political issue of ...

Dateline 2060

Mar

2013

By Motm Dateline 2060: Kuril Islands Volcano — An occasional Future On March 1st 2060 the broadcast information service announced the sudden arrival of an earthquake strength in excess of 7.5 and for the first time a live volcano to follow, rising up, seeming from nowhere. This news is of itself of great concern but ...

$20 Trillion in shale found down under 1

Jan

2013

In Sterling, that’s a cool £13 trillion. Brisbane company Linc Energy yesterday released two reports, based on drilling and seismic exploration, estimating the amount of oil in the as yet untapped Arckaringa Basin surrounding Coober Pedy ranging from 3.5 billion to 233 billion barrels of oil. At the higher end, this would be “several times ...

Time’s Arrow 5

Dec

2012

We are mortal beings. Our lives are linear and each of us have had a beginning and will have an end. Because of this, we -in the west- tend to interpret the world in the same way; we assume the Universe had a beginning, and therefore, will also have an end. To my mind this ...

Global Data Volume 1

Dec

2012

“In 2012, the world generated and replicated about 2.8 zettabytes (ZB) of data. The “digital universe” is forecast to reach 40 ZB by 2020, up from previous estimates of just 5 ZB. According to IDC, the data volume will have grown 50-fold in 2020 from 2010 levels. One of the most significant drivers of this ...

For Remote Posterity 7

Dec

2012

In the ‘end times’, a select band of people tried to save what little they could of the world they knew, for fear that it was about to be lost. By mid-20th century it was the fear of an impending ‘nuclear wasteland’ that encouraged people to bury what they thought most important, but all time-capsules ...

The Missing Third 13

Dec

2012

Electrical Energy — Where is the missing 30%? By Motm This week has been a busy week for our misguided energy decisions and was blessed with a DECC Energy Bill set out here with numerous .pdf’s linked to consultations etcetera. We have also heard that around 20 gas generators are to be built to support ...